Pinless Peepers not working - need advice

[Crazy Wife]

I have a flock of 36 hens and 2 roosters. I've had this many chickens for a few years. In March, we had a dog attack and my best rooster lost his tail feathers. I wondered for quite awhile why they weren't growing back in. Of course, I found out that my hens (mainly the red stars) were picking them out and eating them. Hot pick didn't work, pine tar didn't work and the peepers that were put on this morning, don't seem to work either.

I believe their diet is great. They have lots of room in their coop and free range. Now they are going after Carl's neck feathers and are starting on each other. It is quite discouraging and, frankly, disgusting. I'm just about ready to cull half my flock over this.

I would love any advice that is offered.

Thanks! Jeannie

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Please be more specific about their great diet. Percentages of protein in the feed and what percent other things contribute to the diet.

 

[Crazy Wife]

Hi. They have 20% protein layer crumbles, a can of wheat kernels and a can of scratch each day. They are given every table scrap I can muster, including meat, scrambled eggs and vegies. They have a grain block out in the pen. They are free ranging and ate tons of bugs this fall, when the pecking started to become more aggressive.

I didn't mean 'great diet' to sound like a know-it-all, but diet was the first thing I thought of as a source of the problem. Maybe their diet isn't all that great. I thought I was doing OK, but maybe not.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

No, it sounds good. Diet was the first thing I thought of too. Protein is one of the reasons for feather eating but it sounds like they're OK. 20% is a good starting point when adding that much scratch. The balance sounds good.
Maybe they started picking when he was wounded and it became habit.
Try taking the rooster out until he's fully feathered and put him back. That might fix the problem.

 

[Crazy Wife]

Thanks, I'll try that.